Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa may be unwilling to totally kill off speculation he is going to run for governor. But a vote by the United States Conference of Mayors today suggests that he has other plans.
In the mayors' national convention in Providence, Villaraigosa was elected as the organization's second vice-president for 2009-2010. Under the guidelines of the Conference, he would then become first vice-president in 2010-2011 and president of the organization in 2011-2012.
"Everybody understands that once you get elected, you automatically move up," said Elena Temple, communications director for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
There may still be time for Villaraigosa to bolt the gig. But some political consultants privately suggest that Villaraigosa has already waited too long to raise enough money to kick off a gubernatorial run. His election by Conference of Mayors will only increase talk that he is not interested in moving up in California.
His new mayoral duties come after a Sacramento television reporter asked Villaraigosa at a Capitol press conference last week whether another dating relationship with a Los Angeles television anchor - though not as a married man this time - could impact any future gubernatorial plans.
"I don't think it is going to have any impact whatsoever," Villaraigosa answered crisply.
Later, in an interview, Villaraigosa said he was too centered on Los Angeles' fiscal crisis and his civic responsibilities to worry about the next political step or even a time frame for making a decision.
"Right now, I'm not focusing on the governor's race whatsoever," he said.
Sooner or later, people may start to believe him.
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